2017-02-01: Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen, SP

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Trivia

• Celtic now 25pts in front. Sevco lost 4-1 to Hearts.
• Boyata finally making a name for himself, the Rodgers managerial magic is working.
• Sevco in meltdown, Aberdeen to leapfrog them in table.
• Anthony Stokes has been hit with a two-year suspended sentence for assaulting an Elvis impersonator in a nightclub. Not the last tribute act he has ruined (scoring against Sevco in the Scottish Cup final in 2016).
• Former Celtic youth player Islam Feruz has admitted driving an £80,000 Porsche while disqualified. The 21-year-old Somalian-born player also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance at Glasgow's Justice of the Peace Court.
• Transfer window closed. Not much movement for Celtic, just loans out and Dembele staying.
• Mike Duffy to Dundalk, Christie to Aberdeen (loan), Ambrose to Blackburn (loan) Chelsea reported to be after (1) Dembele for 34m (2) Craig Gordon for 3m. Nothing at all. Leicester after Sviatchenko for 3m. Nothing happened.

Review

(El Salto of KDS)
Professional performance against a team who came to shut up shop and kick us off the park, aided and abetted by a hun ref who just got worse as the game wore on.

Disappointed we couldn't break them down in the first half, but we were patient and when we raised our tempo in the second half it was inevitable we would get the goal, and really should have had more.

Nice to hear McInnes being his usual magnanimous self after the game, delusional doesn't begin to cover it with him.

Onwards to the weekend and St Johnstone, whos players know a thing or two about leaving the boot in, so a tough game in prospect.

(Owenbhoy of KDS)
Silky at times, and just missed scoring more goals.
Thought at times we should have taken the shot rather than look for the square pass.

So many good performances from Boyata, Brown, Bitton, Simunovic and wee Henderson when he came on.
Head and shoulders above anything in this league.

Guy in work said that McInnes was on the radio saying they deserved a point.
What for ? Sympathy ?
Pathetic team, pathetic manager, unsporting dirty players, and even their ref was crap.
Sums up a McInnes team really.
How we can hope that Christie will benefit from playing under that clown is anyone's guess.

The officials were dreadful too.
Shinnie with two 'professional' fouls really and only booked for one, then fouls again less than a minute after his booking.
Two footed tackle on Sinclair as well, and gave them a foul everytime one of them hit the deck almost.
And then we put the ball out for a throw for an injury to Boyata and they keep it trying to get the ball in the box to score.
Not that they were ever anywhere close to scoring really.

But praise for Celtic for another professional dominating performance, that just lacked the goals that the convincing win deserved.
The slump continues. …………….

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Stats

Celtic Aberdeen

Possession
Home59%
Away41%

Shots
Home7
Away5

Shots on Target
Home1
Away2

Corners
Home4
Away0

Fouls
Home9
Away13

Articles

Celtic 1 – 0 Aberdeen: Rodgers’ side go 25 points clear
STEPHEN HALLIDAY

Dedryck Boyata continued his recent emergence as a key component of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic juggernaut as their unrelenting progress towards the retention of the Premiership title continued.

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The Belgian international defender scored the only goal of an often attritional contest which saw the Scottish champions extend their unbeaten domestic record this season to 28 games with an 18th consecutive league victory.

Boyata has now scored twice and helped keep four clean sheets for Celtic in his four appearances since being brought in from the cold by Rodgers last month.

He has fitted impressively into a remarkably consistent side who are now 25 points clear at the top of the table and prompting calendars to be checked for the likely date when they formally clinch the club’s sixth successive title.

For Aberdeen, it was the end of their recent run of four straight league wins but they would take some consolation from Rangers’ heavy defeat at Tynecastle which keeps them firmly in sight of the target of again finishing best of the rest in Scottish football this season.

Celtic were once more without a recognised central striker, in the continuing absence of injured duo Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths, but still carried a potent attacking threat which demanded a high degree of vigilance and concentration on the part of the Aberdeen defence. The visitors generally managed to fulfil that requirement in a first half which saw neither goalkeeper placed under any significant strain. That might have been different had Scott Sinclair been able to profit from a piercing through-ball in the opening minute from Jozo Simunovic but the winger saw his sight of goal snuffed out by Mark Reynolds’ alert intervention.

Kieran Tierney was quick to lend his support in attack as Aberdeen found it difficult to venture out of their own half in the early stages. The young left-back’s first surging run of the night saw him cut infield to drive a shot narrowly over from around 20 yards.

Graeme Shinnie was the first to spring Aberdeen from their defensive shackles, bursting away from Nir Bitton in central midfield and dragging a right-foot shot just wide of Craig Gordon’s right-hand post.

While Celtic dominated possession, much of the play was fragmented with both teams often careless with their final pass just as they approached a promising situation. Patrick Roberts appealed animatedly for a penalty for handball against Shinnie as a jinking run was halted in the area, but his optimistic claim was not taken up by his team-mates.

Shay Logan collected the first booking of the evening for a cynical challenge on Celtic captain Scott Brown, an illustration of the often fractious nature of proceedings. Shay Taylor almost played Aberdeen into trouble with a slack pass back which allowed Roberts to burst through the middle.

His progress was checked by Logan, however, and Tierney shot over the top as he got on to the loose ball.

Aberdeen gradually showed more attacking ambition as the interval approached. Boyata had to make a brilliantly timed headed clearance to prevent a dangerous Niall McGinn cross finding the unmarked Adam Rooney as McInnes’ men enjoyed their first sustained spell on the front foot.

It was Celtic, however, who carved out the final threatening move of the first half. Callum McGregor found Roberts on the right and his low cross looked set to present Sinclair with a simple finish until Dons captain Ryan Jack made a crucial challenge.

Rodgers’ men reapplied themselves to their task with greater intensity and higher tempo after the break. Tactically, Aberdeen continued to prove a tough nut to crack as they restricted the space available to Celtic in and around their penalty area.

The home side’s persistence finally paid off, however, when they made their 57th-minute breakthrough with the most straightforward of set-piece goals. Jonny Hayes, limited to defensive work for most of the evening, conceded the free-kick when he crudely halted another Tierney charge down the left. Sinclair took charge of the situation, guiding the ball towards the near post when Boyata rose powerfully ahead of Ash Taylor to plant an unstoppable header into the roof of the net.

Celtic sustained that momentum as they looked to put the game beyond Aberdeen as quickly as possible and Sinclair was unfortunate to see a curling right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area strike the crossbar.

Aberdeen were finding it increasingly difficult to subdue Sinclair’s pace and creativity, as bookings for Shinnie and Taylor for fouls on the winger illustrated.

With a second goal proving elusive, Aberdeen remained in contention until the end but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Andrew Considine sent a header straight into the arms of Gordon after being picked out by a Logan cross.

Celtic have now won their last 24 league games at Parkhead against the Dons, a run stretching back to 2004. For all Aberdeen’s commitment and energy here, it was a sequence which the champions deserved to extend.

BBC

By Chris McLaughlin

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

From the section Football

Celtic's Dedryck Boyata heads home a free-kick against Celtic
Dedryck Boyata scored his second goal in three games since returning to the side

Celtic continued their stranglehold over Aberdeen at Parkhead to stretch their Premiership lead to 25 points and unbeaten domestic run to 28 games.

The Dons hinted at ending a run of 23 straight league defeats in the east end of Glasgow during an even first half.

But their resistance ended when Dedryck Boyata rose to head home Scott Sinclair's free-kick after 57 minutes.

Aberdeen rallied again late on but couldn't find an equaliser to stop them slipping 27 points behind the leaders.

Looking at the hosts' line-up, it was easy to see why the visitors fancied their chances of a first league win at Celtic Park since 2004.

Key players such as Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong and Leigh Griffiths all missed out through injury, but Aberdeen's five straight wins backed up that belief with form.

What the first half lacked in clear-cut chances, it made up for in tactical intrigue with both managers pushing and pulling their men from the sidelines like tinkering chess masters.

Aberdeen deployed a high line and they pressed the champions in a way they are not accustomed to domestically.

The work-rate from the visitors was impressive but as expected, Celtic enjoyed the majority of the possession and their first chance came when left-back Kieran Tierney curled an effort just over the bar after cutting inside and spying Joe Lewis off his line.

But with their main strikers out, Celtic's killer instinct was also missing and there was a lack of focal point up front, despite some good movement between Scott Sinclair and Patrick Roberts in particular.

Sinclair passed up a chance inside the box just before the break, although Ryan Jack should be praised for a timely tackle.
Aberdeen's Ryan Jack makes a point to Shane Logan
Aberdeen were left frustrated at another fruitless outing at Celtic Park

The Dons were doing their job defensively but in the pursuit of stifling Celtic they were creating very little of their own. A Graeme Shinnie shot high over the bar was as close as they came in the first half.

But as many teams have found to their cost this season, you can only stifle this Celtic side under Brendan Rodgers for so long and 12 minutes after the break they were ahead through Boyata.

The big Belgian defender rose magnificently inside the six-yard box to head home an equally impressive Sinclair cross from the left-hand side.

Aberdeen looked punch drunk after that – the men in green and white sensed it and pushed for the second. They almost got it too through Sinclair but his curling right-foot effort battered off the bar.

Their crisp passing and movement off the ball, at times, left the visitors chasing shadows.

When the Dons settled they knew, if they were to take points, they had to push out, but they also knew that would leave gaps and Roberts almost exploited pace down the left-hand side but pulled his low drive just wide.

Aberdeen had scored in seven of their last eight visits to Celtic Park though and the belief they started with never really left them.

They continued to press Celtic, hoping to pounce on a stray ball or misplaced pass, but the champions saw it out with the professional swagger that we have become used to.

Match ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.
Full Time
Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0.
Posted at 90'+1'

Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen).
Substitution
Posted at 90'

Substitution, Aberdeen. Peter Pawlett replaces Shaleum Logan.
Posted at 89'

Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 89'

Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Substitution
Posted at 87'

Substitution, Celtic. Erik Sviatchenko replaces Patrick Roberts.
Substitution
Posted at 86'

Substitution, Aberdeen. Jayden Stockley replaces Mark Reynolds.
Booking
Posted at 86'

Scott Brown (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 86'

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Posted at 86'

Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 83'

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Posted at 83'

Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 81'

Attempt saved. Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution
Posted at 79'

Substitution, Celtic. Liam Henderson replaces Callum McGregor.
Posted at 79'

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Posted at 79'

Kenny McLean (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 77'

Foul by Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Posted at 77'

Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Posted at 76'

Substitution, Aberdeen. Miles Storey replaces Adam Rooney.
Posted at 74'

Patrick Roberts (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 74'

Foul by Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen).
Posted at 73'

Attempt missed. Patrick Roberts (Celtic) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right.
Posted at 72'

Attempt missed. Scott Sinclair (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Substitution
Posted at 71'

Substitution, Celtic. Gary Mackay-Steven replaces James Forrest.
Booking
Posted at 71'

Ash Taylor (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 66'

Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 66'

Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
Posted at 66'

James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Posted at 66'

Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Posted at 64'

Scott Sinclair (Celtic) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Booking
Posted at 59'

Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 59'

Scott Sinclair (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 59'

Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
Goal!
Posted at 57'

Goal! Celtic 1, Aberdeen 0. Dedryck Boyata (Celtic) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Scott Sinclair following a set piece situation.
Posted at 56'

Kieran Tierney (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 56'

Foul by Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen).
Posted at 50'

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 50'

Foul by Kenny McLean (Aberdeen).
Posted at 49'

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Posted at 49'

Kenny McLean (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 46'

Foul by Patrick Roberts (Celtic).
Posted at 46'

Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Second Half
Posted at

Second Half begins Celtic 0, Aberdeen 0.
Half Time
Posted at 45'+1'

First Half ends, Celtic 0, Aberdeen 0.
Posted at 42'

Scott Sinclair (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 42'

Foul by Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen).
Posted at 42'

Attempt saved. Ash Taylor (Aberdeen) header from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Posted at 41'

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
Posted at 41'

Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 40'

Foul by Dedryck Boyata (Celtic).
Posted at 40'

Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 39'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ryan Jack.
Posted at 38'

Foul by Nir Bitton (Celtic).
Posted at 38'

Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 37'

Attempt missed. Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Posted at 36'

Attempt missed. Kieran Tierney (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Booking
Posted at 35'

Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 35'

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 35'

Foul by Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen).
Posted at 34'

Attempt missed. Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high.
Posted at 30'

Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 30'

Foul by Niall McGinn (Aberdeen).
Posted at 24'

Attempt missed. James Forrest (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Posted at 24'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ryan Jack.
Posted at 21'

Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 21'

Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
Posted at 18'

Attempt missed. Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Posted at 9'

Scott Sinclair (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Posted at 9'

Foul by Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).
Posted at 6'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jonny Hayes.
Posted at 4'

Attempt missed. Nir Bitton (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Posted at 2'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Mark Reynolds.
Kick Off
Posted at

First Half begins.

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.